Artemi Panarin cuts his hair again aiming to end his ongoing slump with the Rangers this season.

Artemi Panarin Makes a Change Amid Struggles

Artemi Panarin has been struggling in the early part of the season and decided it was time for a change.

This wasn’t about the game itself—he opted to shave his head instead.

“Something had to change. If this doesn’t work, the next step is the left stick,” the Rangers star shared on Thursday after practice in Tarrytown.

While he’s been taking it easy, Panarin admits that his recent performance hasn’t been great. He hasn’t found the net in his last six games. After a strong 37 goals last year and a career-high 49 the year before, his two goals this season are pretty disappointing. He even shaved his head last season in hopes of shaking off a slump.

The timing of his current issues couldn’t be worse.

The Rangers are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL this season. On top of that, Panarin is in the final year of his seven-year, $81 million contract.

“For sure,” he confirmed when asked if the contract situation weighed on him. “Players always think about next year. But that’s not an excuse.”

There hasn’t been any indication of a contract extension, and he mentioned he hasn’t heard anything regarding a potential trade.

Despite facing injuries in the preseason, he remains optimistic about turning his season around, though he recognizes that the lack of goals has affected him.

“I’m always confident, but I’m not 100 percent like usual because I haven’t scored enough points,” Panarin noted. “Maybe it will be [Friday]. I feel close [to scoring] in every match. It’s just not happening. We have chances, but goals are elusive right now.”

During Thursday’s practice, the Rangers shifted their lines, placing Panarin alongside Mika Zibanejad and Taylor Radish.

“He’s working on it,” coach Mike Sullivan commented on Panarin. “We need him to produce and lead the offense. He hasn’t been rewarded yet, but I think his game is improving. Nobody cares more about this than he does.”

In roster changes, Jaroslav Schmeral, who has been playing with Sam Carrick and Juuso Palsinen, could make his NHL debut in Detroit on Friday after being called up from Hartford of the AHL. Sullivan praised Schmeral’s performance and mentioned he would bring his AHL style of play to the team.

“I’m going to try to stick to my identity,” the Czech player stated. “I want to work hard and win the puck deep.”

He also emphasizes physicality in his game. “100 percent,” said the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Schmeral. “I want to be at the net and make the defense think twice about going into the corner.”